Evaluation of Personality Perception in Men Before and After Facial Cosmetic Surgery.

IMPORTANCE: Facial cosmetic surgery has previously focused on improvements in perceived physical attractiveness and youthfulness. However, human beings are judged throughout life based on many other characteristics and personal qualities that are conveyed by their faces. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of facial cosmetic surgery in men with perceptions of attractiveness, masculinity, and personality traits. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Cohort study with retrospective evaluation by blinded raters of preoperative and postoperative photographs of 24 male patients who underwent facial cosmetic surgery between January 1, 2009, and January 31, 2016. A total of 6 surveys were constructed with 8 sets of photographs each (4 preoperative and 4 postoperative). Each of these surveys was then sent to at least 36 lay people via the web-based survey tool Survey Monkey. Additional invites were sent for individual surveys until a minimum of 24 responses were received for each survey. Preoperative and postoperative photographs of the same patient were not placed in the same survey to avoid recall bias. Anonymous raters used a 7-point Likert scale to rate their perception of each patient's personality traits (aggressiveness, extroversion, likeability, risk seeking, sociability, and trustworthiness), attractiveness, and masculinity based on photographs in their assigned survey. Raters were blinded to study intent. Data analysis was performed between August 2018 and March 2019. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Ratings of personality, attractiveness, and masculinity. RESULTS: This survey study included photographs of 24 men who underwent facial cosmetic surgery; the mean (SD) age of the patients was 49.3 (16.4) years. A total of 145 participants completed the survey; the majority of respondents were men (n = 81; 56%) between the ages of 25 and 34 years (n = 116; 80%). Score increases were significant for perceived attractiveness (0.29; 95% CI, 0.13-0.46), likeability (0.41; 95% CI, 0.24-0.57), social skills (0.25; 95% CI, 0.08-0.40), and trustworthiness (0.27, 95% CI, 0.11-0.44) when evaluating all facial cosmetic procedures together (upper blepharoplasty, lower blepharoplasty, face-lift, brow-lift, neck-lift, rhinoplasty, and/or chin implant). Upper blepharoplasty was associated with positive changes in perceived likeability (0.72; 95% CI, 0.06-1.50) and trustworthiness (0.74; 95% CI, 0.22-1.25). Lower blepharoplasty was associated with decreased perception of risk seeking (-0.78; 95% CI, -1.45 to -0.10). Face-lift was associated with increased perception of likeability (0.69; 95% CI, 0.08-1.30) and trustworthiness (0.66; 95% CI, 0.05-1.27). Neck-lift was associated with increased perception of extroversion (0.60; 95% CI, 0.10-1.09) and masculinity (0.70; 95% CI, 0.21-1.19). Patients who underwent rhinoplasty had improvements in perceived attractiveness (0.51; 95% CI, 0.03-1.00) and likeability (0.40; 95% CI, 0.03-1.00). Chin augmentation did not show any significant improvements. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The results of this study suggest that men undergoing facial cosmetic surgery may experience changes in perceived attractiveness, masculinity, and a variety of personality traits. These findings complement those from a previous study on female patients, which together broaden the understanding of the association of cosmetic surgery with societal perceptions of persona. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA.

Digging into Debt: The Financial Burden Associated with the Otolaryngology Match.

Objective To quantify the cost incurred during the match process for otolaryngology applicants, determine sources of expenditures, and highlight potential methods to alleviate financial burden of the match process. Study Design Cross-sectional. Study Setting Online survey. Subjects and Methods An electronic survey was sent via email to those who applied to the otolaryngology residency programs at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital during the 2016 application cycle. Questions regarding demographics and experiences with the match were multiple choice, and questions regarding cost were open answer. Data were downloaded and analyzed on Excel and Minitab software. Results Twenty-eight percent of the total 370 applicants completed the survey. The mean cost of away rotations was $2500 (95% confidence interval [CI], $2224-$2776). With application fees and the cost of interviewing, the mean total cost of applying for the 2016 otolaryngology match was $6400 (95% CI, $5710-$7090), with a total range of $1200 to $20,000. Twenty-eight percent of students did not have sufficient funds for applying and interviewing despite seeking out additional monetary resources. Conclusion In 2016, otolaryngology applicants spent a mean of $8900 (95% CI, $7935-$9865) on away rotations, applications, and interviewing. Half of the applicants obtained additional funding to cover this cost, while 28% still did not have sufficient funding. Methods of decreasing cost may include instituting a cap on application number, videoconferencing interviews, regionalizing interviews, and adjusting the interview timeline.

Enhancing the interface in silk-polypyrrole composites through chemical modification of silk fibroin.

To produce conductive, biocompatible, and mechanically robust materials for use in bioelectrical applications, we have developed a new strategy to selectively incorporate poly(pyrrole) (Ppy) into constructs made from silk fibroin. Here, we demonstrate that covalent attachment of negatively charged, hydrophilic sulfonic acid groups to the silk protein can selectively promote pyrrole absorption and polymerization within the modified films to form a conductive, interpenetrating network of Ppy and silk that is incapable of delamination. To further increase the conductivity and long-term stability of the Ppy network, a variety of small molecule sulfonic acid dopants were utilized and the properties of these silk-conducting polymer composites were monitored over time. The composites were evaluated using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, a 4-point resistivity probe and mechanical testing. In addition, the performance was evaluated following exposure to several biologically relevant enzymes. Using this strategy, we were able to produce mechanically robust polymer electrodes with stable electrochemical performance and sheet resistivities on the order of 1 × 10(2) Ω/sq (conductivity ∼1 S/cm).